Safety drop device for aviators&#39; use



April 7,1931.- H. w. WILLIAMS 1,799,664

SAFETY DROP DEVICE FOR AVIATORS USE Filed Feb. 241 19:50

:13} WM. 044", CW zL fittorneys.

mate '7, 1931 I 2 UNITED STATES w. WILLIAMS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS sum DBO! DEVICE FOR AVIATOBS USE Application fled I'ebruary 24, 1930. Serial 110. 480,788.

The invention relates to a new and useful im rovement in a safety device for use in ma g a landing from an aeroplane or other vehicle of the air especially in case of mishap to the aeroplane or other air vehicle. The

ordinary parachute of umbrella type-which requires to be 0 ned out from its collapsed or folded form or a safety descent sometimes fails to open at the critical. time. The object of the present invention is to provide a safety landing device which does not require any preliminary o ening but is always operative or a gliding escent as soon at it is attached to the body of the user.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the novel features thereof will be clearly pointed out and defined in the claims at the close of this specification.

Inthe drawin s:

Fig. 1 is a si e elevation showing the apparatus and the'manner in which it is attached to the 'o rator.

Fig. 2 is a p an view of the device.

. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale, the harness being partly broken awa Flg. 4 is a sectional view of a modified form of the'device shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 2. Referring to the drawings: There is shown at 10 the wing or blade which serves as the retarding element inmaking the descent. It is made of light, strong material, preferably having one side edge bowed outwardly as shown at 11, the op osite side 0 being substantially straight 'ke a chord 0 an arc, as shownat 12. In plan view it somewhat resembles in form the maple key or seed pod of some types of maple trees. The front ed of the wing is provided with a head 13 wh ch serves to stiffen the wing as a whole. One end of the wing merges into a neck 14 which extends at substantially a right-angle to the plane of the wing and ter- Inmates ma ball-shaped head 15, which. is preferably spherical and is revolvably mounted m a socket. For convenience of assembling the parts the socket is preferably made of two shells 16, 17 fastened together. The upper shell 16 is formed with a mouth 18 through. which the neck 14 of the head 15 of the wing extends.

Ball bearings 19 are provided for the head 15 within the shell to permit the head to readily rotate on its axis and thereby cause the wing 10 to sweep around. on the same axis. In the form shown in Fig. 3 the head and wing can tip so that they are not limited to so rotation on a vertical axis.

The said socket for the head 15 may be made of an suitable form, the only purpose of making 1t in two parts as described being to enable the head of the wing to be connected 85 therewith. In the form of socket shown, the two shell members are provided with flanges 20 and 21 respectively which are clamped together by bolts '22.

The lower shell 17 is provided on its under side with a' neck or stem 23 with which a suitable frame or harness is connected for ready attachment to the flyer who desires to make the descent from the aeroplane. In the form shown in the drawings, this harness consists of a frame having a shank 24 provided with two downwardly extending arms 25, 25 provided with hooks or loops 26 at their lower 5 ends through which the arms of the user may be passed in such manner as to bring the so loops up under his shoulders. Any other suitable means by which the harness may be read' 3 attached to the wearer may be employe upper end with the neck '23 of the shell 17. The connection should be such that the socket may easily rotate on its vertical axis with relation to the shank 24 of the harness. One

method of making such connection is to proshells 16 and 17 is rotatable on a vertical 951 y axis when the user is in the vertical position as shown in the drawings and that the head 15 of the wing 10 is also rotatable on itsaxis independently of the rotation of the socket. "If the said head 15 rotates on its vertical axis 104 I The shank 24 is pivotally connected at its aeroplane, the fiyer will place the hooks orloops of the harness under his arms 'or thrust his arms throu h the loops to bring them up under his shou ders. When he has fallen a short distance after he releases himself from the aeroplane, the wing will be u to rotate in a plane at right angles to t e axisof rotation of the head according to the air currents and he will come down gradually in a liding or fioatin descent ,to the earth rat er than by a straight vertical drop. The

pressureof the air against the under face of the wing w'll retard the descent. The spinning movement of the wing in its own plane,

that is, the swinginghof the wing around the axis of rotation of e'head, will steady the descent so that the passenger can remain in an upright position as shown in the drawings durin the descent.

In t e form shown in Fig. 4; the head 30 is formed with an annular shoulder 31 on its outer eriphery and the upper socket member 32 1s formed with an annular shoulder 33, thus providing a channelior the ball bearings 19. Preferably the head 30 and the lower socket member 34 are recessed to receive a ball bearing 35. The shoulders 31, 33 allow the head 30 to rotate only on its vertical axis so long as the hanger is in a vertical position and therefore the wing 10 can move only in a horizontal plane, that is, the plane of the wing is always maintained at a right angle to the hanger.

What I claim is: Y

1. A device of the character described comprising a win having at one end a head extending at su stantially right angles to the plane of the wing, a casing in which said head together with the wing is freely rotatable on an axis at an angle to the plane of the wing, and means suspended from the said casing whereby it may be attached to the person of the user. I

2. A device of the character described comprising a win havin at one end'a head extending at su stantia y right angles to'the lane of the win a casing in which said cad together wit 1' the wing is rotatable on an axis at a right angle to theplane of the wing, and a hanger suspended from the said casin having means whereby it maybe at tache to the-person ofthe user.

3. A device of the character described comprising a wing having atone end ahead extending at substantially a right angle to the plane of the wing, a casing inwhich said head'is rotatable on an axis at a right angle to the plane of the wing, hearings for said head, a hanger suspended from the said casing having swivel connections therewith from said casing, means connecting and means whereby it'may be attached tothe person of the user.

i A device of the character described compr1s1ng a wing having at one end a substanherical head. which extends at sub tially s (plane of the stantial y --.a right an 1e to the wing, a casing 1n whic said hea on an axis at a right angle to the plane of the wing, bearings for said head, a hanger suspended from the said casing having swivel connection therewith and means whereby the hanger may be attached to the person of the user. I

5. A device of the character described comprising a wing which'normally lies in a horizontal plane and has at one end a headwhich extends downward at substantially a right angle to the plane of the wing, a casing in.

which said head is rotatable on an axis at right angles to the plane of said wing, means w ereby said casing may be attached to the person of the user, and connectin means beis rotatable tween said casing and said atta'c ing means whereb said casing is rotatable on its axis with re ation to attaching means.

6. A device of the characte'r described comprising a wing. which has at one end a neck which extends downward at substantially a right angle to the plane of the wing, said neck terminating in a downwardly extending head, a casing in which said head is rotatable on an axis perpendicul r to the plane of said wing, a hanger which. extends downwagdlg a1 hanger with said casing whereby the nger is rotatable on its vertical axis with relation to said casing independently of the rotation of said head, and means whereby said hanger may be attached to the person of the user.

'7. A device of the character described comprising a wing which has at one end a head which extends downward at substantially a right angle to the plane of the wing, said wing havin stiflening means on one side edge thereo ,-a casing in which said head is rotatable on an axis perpendicular to the plane of said wing, and means whereby said casing maybe attached to the person of the user. 1 1

8. A device of the character described comprising a wing having at one end a head which extends downward at substantially a right angle to the plane of the wing, one side edge of said wing being bowed outwardly in the same plane as the body of the wing and having a stifi'ening member on one edge thereof, a casing-in which said head is rotatable on an axis perpendicular to the lane of said wing and a harness whereby sai casing angle to the plane of the wing, a hanger sus- 7 comprising a the said casing having swive pended from the said casing having swivel connection therewith and means whereby it may be attached to the person of the user.

10. A device of the character described comprising a wing having a substantially spherical head which extends at an angle to the lane of the wing, a casing in which said hea is rotatable on an axis at an an le to the plane of the wing, a hanger sus en ed from connection therewith and means whereby the hanger may be attached to the person of the user. 11. A device of the character described wing having a head which extends downward at an angle to the plane of the wing, a casing in which said head is rotatable on an axis at an angle to the lane of said wing and a harness whereby sai casing maiy be attached to the person of the user.-

n testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HERMANN w. IAMS. 

